Remember

"Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today... But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 8.6-11, 18-20

Moses tells Israel that they are going to make it. Their hardships will end and they will enjoy an abundance. They are about to enter a good land where all of their needs will be more than satisfied. And he reminds them to remember God.

When things are going well, it is easy to forget God. It is easy to forget about the hard times and think there is a sense of security in the present situation. But we must never forget God. We must never forget what God has brought us through, or what He has provided, and that all of the goodness that surrounds us is a result of His blessings. When we forget God it is easy to take credit for what we have, and when that happens we tell God we don't need Him, that we never really needed Him. That is a dangerous place to be.

I remember a conversation I had with a coworker close to a year ago. I was telling him about all my wife and I had been through in the past few years, but at the end I told Him how God had provided and taken care of us, putting us in the position we were now it. I'll never forget what he said to me. "You did that. You got yourself through. Take credit for it."

That is something I cannot do. If it wasn't for God's presence and provision, I would still be where I was, and without the healing moments I had experienced in that time. And if I don't give God the credit that He alone warrants, I am saying to Him, "I don't need you, really I never needed you. I've had this, and I'll take it from here." And with that response, God will step back and say, "Ok, you take things from here." I don't want to go there.

Men, you may not be struggling, maybe you have made it. Are you remembering how God has brought you to this point? Do you remember the hardships that you faced leading up to this? Are you praising God daily for where He has brought you, and what He has brought you through?

I'll be honest, this is a struggle for me at times. I'm not taking credit for where my life is right now, but it is easy to get comfortable and go days, weeks even, without thanking God simply for how well life is going. I don't want to be like that, because the longer I'm comfortable, the sooner it is that I begin to take credit for things. I don't want to go a day without thanking God for where He has brought me, and what He has sustained me through.

Throughout the book of Deuteronomy Moses is constantly reminding the people of where they have been, in the hope that when everything is good they don't forget all that God has done. May we always remember where God has brought us, and how He has blessed us. Never forget.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor